The mummy never reached the level of cultural clout that other classic Universal monsters like Dracula and Frankenstein have, but the monster and the franchise have proved remarkably enduring over the past 90 years. An interest in all things ancient Egypt began in 1922 with Howard Carter’s opening of King Tutankhamen’s tomb. When Lord Carnarvon, who had financed Carter’s expedition, died shortly afterwards in Cairo, Sherlock Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle noted that “an evil elemental may have caused Lord Carnarvon’s fatal illness”, essentially inventing the idea of the mummy’s curse.
Universal Studios released The mummy in 1932, capitalizing on the public fascination with all things ancient Egypt and in particular the idea that King Tut’s curse, fanciful as it was, had claimed as many as nine victims. Countless variations of this template have followed, from slapstick comedies and adventure films to gory slasher films and surreal meditations on aging and death. Some of these are better than others, and with so many movies to choose from, it can be hard to separate the wheat from the chaff. To help you out, we’ve put together a list of the nine best mummy movies from across the spectrum.
9/9 The mummy’s hand
The mummy’s hand was made quickly on a shoestring budget, hoping to capitalize on the success of not only that of 1932 The mummybut also two other Universal horror sequels, Son of Frankenstein and The invisible man returns. It reuses footage from The mummy and reuses the score of Son of Frankensteinbut still manages to create a compelling story.
An ancient Egyptian prince, Kharis, played by Tom Tyler, tries to revive his secret lover, Ananka, but when he is caught with the contraband, life-giving herbs, he is tortured and buried alive. Awakened centuries later, his quest for vengeance is set alongside modern scientists on their own quest for immortality.
8/9 Under wrappers
In Disney Channel’s first horror movie, a monster movie-obsessed young teen is found tasked with returning an escaped mummy to its coffin before midnight on Halloween. Under wrappers cleverly understands the truth at the heart of all mummy movies: the mummy is an inherently likeable monster.
A victim of the same curse that torments the heroes, he is almost always in search of a long-lost and often reincarnated lover. These things can make a complex, likable villain, or they can strip the plot conflict of all logic or suspense, depending on how they’re handled. Under wrappers embraces the basic goodness of the character and proves that horror can be a surprisingly family-friendly affair.
7/9 The shroud of the mummy
Just as Hammer Films did with other horror franchises, this 1967 movie takes the standard mummy movie tropes and injects them with enough ingenuity and gore to stand out from the long string of sequels that surround it. The creative and often graphic deaths portrayed on screen as the mummy makes his way through the members of the expedition who unearthed him mark this as something of a slasher movie. Catherine Lacey’s brilliant performance as Haiti’s “toothless witch” balances the gore nicely, making The shroud of the mummy an interesting, if flawed, variation on the mummy theme.
6/9 Abbot and Costello Meet the mummy
After the success of their confrontations with Frankenstein in 1948, “The Killer, Boris Karloff” in 1949, The Invisible Man in 1951 and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in 1953, the bumbling vaudevillian duo finally met the mummy in this 1955 Comedy. By then, their schtick was getting a bit stale, and this would be their last film featuring Universal’s roster of classic monsters. Nevertheless, the combination of elaborate, openly silly slapstick and time-tested horror tropes works well and paves the way for the horror-comedy genre (and more than 50 years to come). Scooby-Doo).
5/9 The mummy returns
The sequel to 2001 The mummy, The mummy returns does something not many mummy sequels have been able to do: succeed as an enjoyable movie. The mummy returns never rises to the level of the Indiana Jones movies, or even its 1999 predecessor, but its willingness to embrace the light-hearted silliness of the old pulp adventures that inspired those movies makes it a fun romp that has held up surprisingly well over the years.
4/9 The Mummy (1932)
The one that started it all. The 1932 Universal Studios horror film starring Boris Karloff Frankenstein fame, came on the heels of their successful adaptations of Dracula and Frankenstein and established the mummy as part of the classic monster franchise. All important ingredients are included The mummy: the archaeologist who disturbs cursed artifacts, the ancient Egyptian priest whose doomed romance has tormented him through the ages, and the supernatural elements and exotic environments that define the genre.
3/9 The Mummy (1999)
This Stephen Sommers-led action-adventure against the monster, starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, is probably the first movie that comes to mind when most modern moviegoers think of mummy movies, and with good reason. Fraser’s Rick O’Connell is a charismatic, deeply endearing take on the Indiana Jones-type adventurer and his chemistry with Weisz carry the film. Combined with solid special effects and a charming, confident script, The mummy proved that mummy movies don’t have to be horror movies to keep audiences happy.
2/9 Bubba Ho-Tep
Director Don Coscarelli made a name for himself with horror with the fantasy movies from the 70s, 80s and 90s, but Bubba Ho-Tep sees him deliver a distinctly idiosyncratic take on the mummy plot that’s more of a surreal comedy than a thriller. The plot follows an elderly Elvis Presley, who had long ago traded places with the impersonator whose death the world has mistaken for his own death, and who must now defend his nursing home from a strangely cowboy-looking mummy.
Through all its absurdity, Bubba Ho-Tep manages to deliver an authentically thoughtful look at aging, dignity and the respect owed to the past, both recent and distant.
1/9 The Mummy (1959)
Legendary B-movie studio Hammer Films had already taken on Frankenstein and Dracula when they turned their attention to another Universal monster with 1959’s The mummy. Director Terence Fisher floods the film with exuberant, evocative color as Christopher Lee delivers another of the horror-inducing performances that would make him an icon, this time with little more than the burning intensity of his eyes and the sense of barely restrained physicality. So while Universal may have the classic take on the mummy and new versions will certainly be made, it’s Hammer who sets the bar with this definitive take on the vengeful monster.